Have To or Want To?

Whew . . . we made it!  Another February 14th has passed by and along with it, in one way or another, the romance and/or angst experienced by just about everyone - whether spoken for or single.  I couldn't help but once again notice the wide-ranging expressions of gushing jubilation and sad frustration that Valentine's Day ( or Single Awareness Day ) brought with it.  But even if you weren't acknowledging S.A.D. and you are in a relationship, there was the full spectrum of status updates on Facebook - from the squeals describing the semi-truck load of roses & chocolates delivered . . . to the "gee, thanks for the generic card" reactions.  It has almost become like a 2-month early precursor to Tax Day on April 15 because your perspective on it depends on if you owe the IRS . . . or if you will be getting a big fat refund ( or a measly generic one ).
Some people have a wonderful time celebrating with the love of their life - Tracy and I got to spend the afternoon in NYC going to the "free" David Letterman Show ( and briefly getting on camera in the audience ).  Some people would have rather just skipped ahead from Feb 13th to Feb 15th.
The debate over whether this holiday is a conspiracy perpetuated by companies like Hallmark & Russell Stover will continue to rage throughout time, but celebrating love ( which 1 Corinthians 13 says...is patient, kind...does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered...keeps no record of wrongs...does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth...always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres...and never fails ) should not carry with it the unnecessary pressure of "I HAVE to do something" instead it should be "I WANT to do something" to show it.

P.S. - I am probably going against some kind of "Dad-of-teenage-daughters-code" here, but I have to give props to the boyfriends of our 2 daughters.  They did pretty well on Valentine's Day - Struan took Makenna out to see a movie . . . and even though Chris had to work until late at night, he still brought over a dozen roses for Emily.  So, to Struan and Chris I say . . . well done, and you've earned yourself at least another week of hanging out with our girls.

Do They Really Go Together . . ?

I just heard about the new addition to the menus at Jack In the Box restaurants . . . the Bacon Milkshake.  I'm not sure if I should feel deprived that there isn't a location close to us, because to be quite honest, even though this is a combination of two of my FAVORITE things . . . I'm not sure I would be a fan.  Setting aside the obvious "blocked artery" considerations, let's just get flavor-conscious for a second - do they really go together . . ?
Reese's blending of chocolate & peanut butter is brilliant . . . Dr. Pepper's symphony of 23 flavors is a masterpiece . . . and Colonel Sanders' blend of 11 herbs and spices is heavenly.  And even though I would RARELY turn down a yummy chocolate malted milkshake or crispy bacon with . . . just about anything, I don't think that blending them together works . . . except for a tame round of Fear Factor.  Much like Packer fans and rational objectivity . . . there are some things that just don't seem to go together - but that's just my humble ( burp ) observation.

Life is a Precious Gift

Over the past couple of weeks we have had the opportunity to share special monumental times of life with dear friends & church members here in Jersey and back in Minnesota.  We have grieved with two of our current students as they lost their Mom after a long, brave battle with cancer.  We have celebrated new life with dear friends & leaders here as their beautiful baby girl was born.  We have proudly congratulated new Moms, who were special parts of our lives & ministry years ago in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  It's so cool to see them hold new babies of their own in their arms like they used to, as teenagers, babysit our kids back in the day.  Tracy and I are SO thankful for the opportunity that we have had, and continue to have, to LIVE LIFE TOGETHER with so many precious people.  Being able to walk alongside friends through the lows & highs makes life richer . . . and it allows each of us to be a blessing to one another.  I have again been reminded that life is a precious gift which should never be taken for granted . . . but rather celebrated and lived to the fullest with the ones you love.

Definitely Worth It . . .

After today's trip to the mailbox I came back into the house and said, "Woo-hoo, let's go shopping!"  Who doesn't enjoy opening mail and finding money???  This time it's going to be tough to figure out what to spend it on . . . it's going to be a real challenge, even with Tracy's coupon-savvy expertise.  What exactly can we do with $.06?  What will the bank teller think when I ask to cash this check?
We had an old Health Savings Account that we thought was closed years ago.  Evidently it wasn't, according to the statement we received a few days back.  So, after I called the company and officially closed it, they spent WAY more on man-power, paper and postage to send it to us than the actual check was worth.  I know . . . it needed to be done to reconcile things and clear the deck, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it?
As outrageous as this whole thing seems, it really does help illustrate a vitally important spiritual truth.  Because you and I are not perfect ( we sin, make selfish mistakes, etc ), we do not measure up to God's standard of holiness.  Since God is true to his holy nature, He cannot associate with sin.  In our sinfulness, we had been separated from God . . . of little or no worth in that state.  But, in His amazing love, God showed how much He values us by sending His Son to pay for our sins and die in our place to reconcile us to Him - giving WAY more than we were worth.  The grace & mercy He has offered to us shows us that we who may seem worthless really have infinite value, and the amount paid was definitely worth it to Him ( see John 3:16 & Romans 5:8 ).
I know you're probably dying to know about our big plans for the check . . .right?  Actually, this is what we plan to do now that we have received it: hold onto it and tell others about it.  My hope is that you will do the same with the truth of God's love in the Gospel . . . receive it, take hold of it for yourself and tell others about it.

the Courage to Do the Right Thing

In the midst of rescue, recovery and clean up efforts following the tragic Italian cruise ship accident, it seems like people are intrigued by this "tale of two captains" saga.  On one hand, we have the ship's captain who is under house arrest after acting recklessly by steering too close to an island, tearing a whole in the side of the ship causing it to take on water and tip over, and then abandoning ship in a lifeboat before making sure that all passengers and crew were safely off the ship and accounted for.  On the other hand, we have the Coast Guard officer who has become the instant hero for demanding that the ship's captain do the right thing by going back on board to fulfill his responsibilities.
I don't know where the Coast Guard officer was barking out his demands from, but I'm pretty sure that he wasn't in danger himself when he was giving his "courageous" instructions to get back to the sinking ship.  It can be too easy to call one a brave hero and another a cowardly villain without having walked in their shoes or tread in that water.
While it is pretty easy to play Monday morning quarterback and even jump on the pile with everyone who is attacking the ship's captain for being a coward, I see this as a good time to take a look in the mirror . . . and ask God to give me the courage to always do the right thing ( not just the easy thing ) in every situation, no matter how difficult it may be.

It's Like a Sea Without a Shore . . .

Please don't mistake this for some type of music review . . . I'm not attempting to critique an album here.  However, over the past 24 hrs as I have been absorbing and thoroughly enjoying the newest ( and sadly final ) effort from the David Crowder Band called "Give Us Rest," a variety of tracks have been jumping out at me, kicking my tail and bringing me to my knees ( including the similarly named #7) in worship.
There is a TON of great music here, but one track in particular that just got my attention a few minutes ago is named "Sometimes" and here are some of the lyrics that have grabbed me and blown me away: "sometimes every one of us feels / like we'll never be healed // sometimes every one of us aches / like we'll never be saved . . . it's Your love that we adore, it's like a sea without a shore . . . don't be afraid, just set your sail and risk the ocean, there's only grace."

When I finally really "heard" it after listening to it a few times, it automatically made me think of the way that God's IMMEASURABLE and UNENDING love for us is described in Romans 8:38-39 . . . "for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Here's a great reminder for all of us when we feel beaten up, beaten down, discouraged or unlovable:  God's love for us is real and it never changes . . . it's offered to us to be accepted & treasured . . . it's pure . . . it's faithful . . . and it's like a sea without a shore.

Lessons From a Food Fight

In some tabloid-type news, a birthday party was planned for LeBron James recently and a Miami area baker was going to receive some publicity for preparing a fancy cake for the event.  Apparently it wasn't fit for a king or the Cake Boss and the person handling the party ended up rejecting it and using a different one and the cake baker is ticked and wants someone to pay.  After reading about the little "food fight" it got me thinking (which can be a little scary).

1. why should any cake supposedly cost $3,500?
2. was there real gold in that frosting?
3. why can't someone like James cover the costs anyway - it's like $5 to him.
4. it doesn't sound like the baker knows what it means to "give a gift."
5. it doesn't sound like James or his "people" know what it means to "accept a gift."
It just seems like another example of selfishness, entitlement and an overall lack of grasp on reality that we see around us far too often.
Remembering that we are just a few days removed from celebrating Christmas and the greatest gift ever given to humanity in Jesus, I hope that overall, we have learned to be a little more appreciative of a generous gift when it comes our way.  Jesus is the perfect gift . . . the perfect gift giver . . . and the perfect example of how to relate to others with kindness, unselfishness and love.  He has taught us to give and to receive without strings attached.  When I think about my sinfulness, mistakes and failures - and the grace and mercy that God faithfully shows me - I am so thankful that I don't receive what I'm truly entitled to.
By the way . . . call me boring, but I'm completely happy with a simple white cake with chocolate frosting.